Facebook and YouTube didn't exist when I started playing. The internet was there, but if you wanted to watch how players taught techniques, licks, scales, blocking, right hand position using picks, bar techniques how to play chords, and pedal positions, you had to watch it on video or DVD, or take a steel lesson, or go to a steel show or seminar..Although I loved the steel at a young age, like I do now, because of cerebral palsy, I went through a process where I had to figure out what instrument would be right for me, and at seventeen, I got interested in playing steel, and started playing at the age of eighteen and now at thirty-five, almost thirty-six, I still love it!

Awesome, Brett. An inspiration to us all.

Funny you mention having to learn from DVD's and videos before YouTube. Why, when I was learning, there wasn't even...we'll never mind. I have forgotten what we didn't have.

Don R Brown

From:Rochester, New York, USA

Posted 17 Jul 2017 5:25 pm

Jerry Roller wrote:

Don, I don't think I was!
Jerry

Well, it SEEMS like it was only a few years ago. But I guess the numbers tell a different story. I love Bob Carlucci's signature - "I'm over the hill and hitting rocks on the way down!"

Jim Morris

From:Cincinnati Ohio, USA

Posted 19 Jul 2017 2:28 am

Young to PSG or young in age? I don't feel so young, I'm 38. ( don't know what you consider young) But as far as playing, I've only been at this thing 3 months._________________Justice Pro Lite 4x5. Nashville 112 w/ Eminence EPS-12C
Goodrich 120 volume pedal & BJS bar

Bryan Staddon

From:Buffalo,New York,

Posted 20 Jul 2017 11:00 amSaw one,

Last night a band played on Jimmy Kimmel called the Revivalists. They had a steel player. Itwasn't a country revival or something like that, just a regular rock band. When they went to commercial right before the band played, the camera shot was a beautiful blue pedal steel from the tuners looking down the fretboard. I was intrigued to say the least. I know nothing about the band or the steeler but I liked them and was happy to see a young band with a steel on tv._________________You are me as I am you

Curt Trisko

From:St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

Posted 20 Jul 2017 5:10 pmRe: Saw one,

Bryan Staddon wrote:

Last night a band played on Jimmy Kimmel called the Revivalists. They had a steel player. Itwasn't a country revival or something like that, just a regular rock band. When they went to commercial right before the band played, the camera shot was a beautiful blue pedal steel from the tuners looking down the fretboard. I was intrigued to say the least. I know nothing about the band or the steeler but I liked them and was happy to see a young band with a steel on tv.

That song was all over top 40 radio earlier this year. For the music video, one of the opening shots is a slo-mo of the pedal steel strings being raked: https://youtu.be/o0Pt7M0weUI

Andrew Krebs

From:Wisconsin, USA

Posted 21 Jul 2017 9:51 pm

Mid twenties here. Just finally found a Carter Starter in range and made the drive for it today. All set up and ready tonight and I don't have anywhere to be til 7am Monday...

I'm kind of attracted to the sacred steel tuning though, not sure how that's viewed on here. I may be incorporating the instrument into my bands songs I've written and I've read it's good for comping chords.

25 here, started when I was 14 and have been at it ever since. Current road and studio steel player for Cody Jinks! I've met a lot of young Steelers on the road that are kind of hiding behind the curtain but trust me, when they pop up, you'll be amazed!_________________"Hotrod"
Cody Jinks and the Tone Deaf Hippies

There are some young players playing steel. Jacob King who is 14 years old and plays like someone who has played for years and then there is Tobin Hess who plays extremely well. A couple young guys overseas, Matthew Jut and Stepnen Ryker play too. You can find videos of them on YouTube as well. Then you have the young guys like me at 57 years of age but I bet you are talking much younger.

There are lots of young players. They just don't hang around with us very much. Lots of them lurk on here and don't see the need to participate.

I'm afraid that's all too true Doug. And what a shame it is. It seems like very few young people today feel any need to associate with their elders in any capacity. That's very different from my own generation. ( I'm 61 ) My friends and I always enjoyed the company of the older guys, whether were having a beer with them or rubbing elbows with them in the workplace. We loved the stories, saw lots of opportunity to learn from their life experience and just enjoyed having them around. These days it is a rare occasion when anyone under 30 or so thinks they want to hear anything from a senior. We're pretty much worthless to them. Sad...for both sides.

Steven Hicken

From:Leeds, United Kingdom

Posted 23 Oct 2017 1:47 pm

Bill Miller wrote:

Quote:

There are lots of young players. They just don't hang around with us very much. Lots of them lurk on here and don't see the need to participate.

I'm afraid that's all too true Doug. And what a shame it is. It seems like very few young people today feel any need to associate with their elders in any capacity. That's very different from my own generation. ( I'm 61 ) My friends and I always enjoyed the company of the older guys, whether were having a beer with them or rubbing elbows with them in the workplace. We loved the stories, saw lots of opportunity to learn from their life experience and just enjoyed having them around. These days it is a rare occasion when anyone under 30 or so thinks they want to hear anything from a senior. We're pretty much worthless to them. Sad...for both sides.

Me and Mathew Jut would have a pint with ya _________________"19 years old huh? I've got socks older than you."

That's the spirit Steven! It's good to know everyone doesn't write us off.

David Mason

From:Cambridge, MD, USA

Posted 23 Oct 2017 6:28 pm

The bottomless pit of everything steel:
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=208507
Just keep tacking them on the end, zip through it every now and then. Old-fashioned steelcentric country is dead so if that all you like, the oldies and the retro-bands are it. But this "death of steel!" message certinly has a whiff of the four blind elephants went into a bar looking for a quarter sorta thing. There seems to be more builders than ever, they stay as busy as they want. I'd be interested in how many TEACHERS of steel feel it's up or down? Every teacher eventually tells their students "your own recordings, the collections of music you love, are your best teacher" but there is a big hump at the start of steel playing. I think among the grommets, the overwhelmingly standard procedure is:
Slide guitar -> 6 string lap -> more strings -> pedals, so they've kinda bypassed the "I wanna play exactly like this!" - "this" being Buddy, Sonny, Buck etc.

Kenneth Blesy

From:Buffalo, New York, USA

Posted 24 Oct 2017 9:18 am

I'm 19, and just bought my first steel over the summer, a Carter S10 with 3 pedals and 5 knees. It's definitely been difficult getting started, but a lot of fun! Playing 6 string and having knowledge of music theory has been helpful, and reading on this forum has been a great resource. Soon I want to invest in some of the Jeff Newman courses, as so many people say they're great when getting started. For me, one of the most daunting things has been the actual workings and maintenance of these things (I'm still pretty clueless). Compared to a regular guitar, there is MUCH more to go wrong on a steel, especially when buying used with little knowledge, and I think that scares away a lot of people that are curious. I got lucky that mine is in good working shape, but I'm going to have to learn some basic maintenance, as the knee lever that drops the Eb to a D isn't returning all the way back to Eb. Probably something basic, and I'm just clueless. All in all, I'm very glad I had somebody that got me interested in learning to play this very unique instrument!

Steven Hicken

From:Leeds, United Kingdom

Posted 24 Oct 2017 10:31 am

Kenneth Blesy wrote:

I'm 19, and just bought my first steel over the summer, a Carter S10 with 3 pedals and 5 knees. It's definitely been difficult getting started, but a lot of fun! Playing 6 string and having knowledge of music theory has been helpful, and reading on this forum has been a great resource. Soon I want to invest in some of the Jeff Newman courses, as so many people say they're great when getting started. For me, one of the most daunting things has been the actual workings and maintenance of these things (I'm still pretty clueless). Compared to a regular guitar, there is MUCH more to go wrong on a steel, especially when buying used with little knowledge, and I think that scares away a lot of people that are curious. I got lucky that mine is in good working shape, but I'm going to have to learn some basic maintenance, as the knee lever that drops the Eb to a D isn't returning all the way back to Eb. Probably something basic, and I'm just clueless. All in all, I'm very glad I had somebody that got me interested in learning to play this very unique instrument!

Nice to meet you mate!

Will look forward seeing some material from you in the future._________________"19 years old huh? I've got socks older than you."

My "younger" friend Nate, ( young is relative) is a new student to Pedal Steel and a killer Mando picker. He is also a newish forum member . He's behind me by 30 years, we gig together now and then. He hears, feels and understands the music on the Steel, he will be a great player one day. He recently purchased a 4+5 GFI from a forum member, awesome guitar I might add !_________________<b>Steel Guitar music here >>> http://www.tprior.com/five.htm</b>

I am 64 now but back in the "90's" when the new era of country music hit the charts we had a lot of guys that were super good pickers and singers that were around 20 years old. They were always looking for Steel Players that were their own age. "No Deal" Long story short is that I played a lot of music through the "90,s" with guys only half my age. My kids at the time got a big kick out of it because the guys I was playing with were all their age!!!!

Fred Treece

From:California, USA

Posted 6 Dec 2017 8:03 pm

"None in this area" is the best answer so far. Where I grew up there were no steel players, young or old. I really don't think anyone knew what pedal steel was, nor cared. But that was also back in the 1970's, so I am pretty sure many of the players who we now call the greatest were still fairly young.

There is an underlying question on this thread that is being addressed in some of the comments. There may not be many young steel players enjoying great commercial success because of the sorryass state of commercial music in general. But most of the best musicians I have ever worked with have bucked commercial trends whenever possible, and I don't suppose the 20-somethings of today are much different from the 20-somethings of any era in that regard.

Aidan Lenihan

From:Vermont, USA

Posted 7 Dec 2017 7:06 pm

Decided one day to come out from hiding in the Green Mountain State._________________Best, Aidan
Fender Artist S-10. Lots of classic amps, & Cool old gear.

Bill McCloskey

Posted 7 Dec 2017 7:33 pm

Been coming to this forum since I was in my 40s.

in my 60's now.

and ever since I've been coming here, this question has been asked. Just like there are still people who play the Viola Gamba, there will always be pedal steel players. Probably these days, more people are brought into the fold via dobro and lap steel, but as long as I've been coming to this forum, they've been announcing the pedal steel's imminent demise. They'll be announcing long after I've shuffled off this mortal coil.

Barry Blackwood

Posted 8 Dec 2017 9:22 am

Young (steel) players - you mean under 60, right?

Dustin Kleingartner

From:Saint Paul MN, USA

Posted 8 Dec 2017 9:50 am

Young is relative of course.
I'm 31 and I've been playing for 2 years now. I gig regularly around the Twin Cities in a few different bands, and I know of at least a couple other younger guys that play out on pedal steel in this area. I like to think that I've got a good 4 decades of steelin' ahead of me.

And as far as the younger generation not engaging with or respecting elders... I think that anyone who is drawn to this instrument has a deep respect for the past, and all of those who came before. If anyone is going to respect their elders, and want to learn from them, it's going to be pedal steel players._________________Proud parent of a good dog.

Alan Judson

From:Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Posted 11 Dec 2017 6:51 amStarted at 33

33 may be young to some and old to others, but I'm playing more gigs than ever after picking up the steel. Got me a StageOne from Doug, and it's the best purchase of my adult years.